Universal coupling for jack-actuating handles



, April 7, 1931. w, WEBSTER 1,799,488

UNIVERSAL COUPLING FOR JACK AGTUATING HANDLES Filed Dec. 16, 192v Ill/1v1/ 11/ All 1J1 gwuznto'n means described herein and disclosed in thePatented Apr. 7, 1931 j UNITED? STATES (PATENT orrics I WALTER H.'WEBS'1F1R, F. CINCINNATI, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO THE 0. I. SCHRIVER COM-PANY, OF CINCINNATI, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF OHIO V UNIVERSAL COUPLINGFOR JACK-AGTUATING HANDLES I Application filed December 16,1927. SerialNo. 240,518. i

I I5. An object of the invention is to provide a jack actuating devicewhich may be conveniently operated at various angles of inclinationtoajack drive shaft, or if desired, in rigid alignment therewith.

'1 Another object is to provi'de a coupling means which is inexpensiveof manufacture and simple of operation. Another. ob'ect' is to provide acoupling means which can not become out'of order.

These and other objects are attainedby the accompanying drawings, inwhich 1 isalongitudinal, sectional view showing a coupling in flexibledriving relation with a rotatable jack handle.

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal, sectional view of the device in which theparts are disposed in rigid-alignment. r 3 is across sectional view online 3- 3 of'Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a cross sectionalview on line 4-4 ofFig.2.

The device comprises a sleeve or coupling member 6 provided with anangular bore 7, 7

one end ofwhich is adapted to receive a rotatable'jack drive shaft 9. '1At the opposite end of the coupling member there is provided aninwardlyturned peripheral flange 10 forming a reduced opening A bore,anddrlvlng head may be of square-ma- 11 at the end of the couplingmember. rod 12 is provided on its far end with an actuating handle 130,which may be grasped for imparting rotatory motion to the. rod 12. Onthe opposite end of the rod there is provided anangular driving head 13which is reciprocally and non-rotatably received in the angular bore 7of the coupling 9. The driving faces 1 1 of the driving head may berounded as shown in Fig. 1 for the purpose of insuring freeangular'movement of the rod 12 relative to the coupling 6. A bearingportion 15 is provided on the rod 12 for insertion into the reducedopening 11 when it is desired to dispose the rod and sleeve in axialalignment one with the other; e The bearing portion 15 is spaced fromthe driving head means of an intermediate shank 16 of a sizeconsiderably smaller than the reduced 0pe11 mg 11. Tapered shoulders 17intermediate the shank and the bearing portion provide for easyinsertion of the bearing portion into the 1 reduced opening. n

In Fig. 2 the device is shown in rigid or straight drive condition. Itshould be noted that to place the device in straightdrivecondition, itis necessary only to move the rod longitudinally into the sleeve orcoupling member, whereupon shoulders 17 guide the bearing portion 15intothe reduced opening. i

' The drivingfhead 13 thereupon abuts a suitable stop means 18 which maybe inlthe form of a comparatively heavy cotter pin 19 p 7 received inperforations 20 and 21 in opposed The. stop faces of the couplingmember. means is disposed transversely of the cou- 'pling member 6.Means is also providedfor connecting the coupling member to a jack driveshaft 9. The bore 7 is of a size and shape such as to receive thereinthe jack drive shaft. F or retaining the coupling and jack drive shaftin connected relationship, there is provided a second cotter pin 22which is preferably connected to the first cotter pin19 by means of achain or other suitable connecting means 23. The cotter -pin"22 isadaptedto enter a pair of aligned perforations 24 and a co-operativeperforation 25 in the j ackdrive shaft. i

As shown in Figs. 3 and 4 the coupling,

terial. Obviously, these parts may be of triangular, hexagonal, orothershape if desired.

the coupling member or sleeve 6. The ul imate purpose of the saidconnection is to permit the jack to be withdrawn from,'or placed intootherwise inaccessible positions bym'anipulating the rod 12. It isevident thatwitlr out the connecting means 22, it would be impossible towithdraw the jack from under- "7,.

neath an automobile or the like, by manipulating the handle 130. Whenthe jack is so withdrawn, the rod 12 is pulled outwardly, placing thedriving head 13 in abutment upon the peripheral flange 10 of thecoupling, which precludes separation of the parts one from the other. Itis to be understood that various changes may be made in the structuraldetails of the coupling device without departing from the spirit of theinvention.

What is claimed is:

1. In a device of the class described, the combination of a couplingmember having an angular bore, a rotatable rod having an a11- gulardriving head reciprocally and nonrotatably mountedin the angular bore ofthe coupling member, said rod and head being; adapted to be disposed inangular driving relation with the coupling member, a hearing portion onthe rod adapted to be moved into the bore in the coupling member foreffecting axial alignment of the rod and coupling member, means forprecluding separation of the rod and coupling'member one from the other,and means for connecting the coupling member to a shaft to be driven.

2. In a device of the class described, the

combination of a hollow coupling member having connecting meanson oneend thereof, a rotatable rod having a driving head reciprocally andnon-rotatably mounted in the bore of the coupling member, said rod andhead being adapted for driving engagement at an angle to one another, abearing portion on the rod adapted to be moved into the bore of thecouplingmember for eii'ecting and maintaining axial alignment of the rodand coupling member, and an inwardly turned peripheral flange on thecoupling member for precluding separation thereof from the rotatablerod.

3. A combination flexible and rigid drive coupling for transmittingrotary motion,

comprising a sleeve having an angular bore, an inwardly projectingflange at one end of the sleeve for reducing the size of the here at theend of the sleeve, a rod comprising a bearing portion and an angulardriving head and having a reduced portion therebetween, said angularhead being reciprocally received in the bore of the sleeve and precludedfrom withdrawal therefrom by the flange, reciprocation of the head androd serving to successively place the bearing portion of the rod intothe reduced bore in the sleeve whereby the. head and bearing may.support the rod from the sleeve and in axial alignment therewith, and toremove it therefrom for producing aflexible drive means.

4. A combination flexible and rigid drive coupling for transmittingrotary motion, comprising a hollow coupling member, a rod having adriving head non-rotatably mounted in the bore of the coupling memherand adaptedto be angularly disposed in driving relation to the couplingmember, and means on the rod and coupling for positioning and holdingthe head and coupling memher in a nonflexible and axially aligned driverelationship.

5. The combination with a coupling memher having an angular bore, of arod having a driving head reciprocally and non-rotatably mounted in theangular bore, means precluding separation of the head and couplingmember, and aligning means for the rod and coupling member renderedeffective by reciprocation of the rod and coupling member whereby therod and coupling member may be either aligned or disposed angularly toone another in constant driving relation.

6. The combination with a coupling member having an angular bore, of arod having a driving head reciprocally and non-rotatably mounted in theangular bore of the coupling member, said coupling member and head beingarranged to preclude separation one from the other, and to cooperate forselgc tive angular and aligned driving relations 11p.

7. In a jack handle the combination of a rod, a socket non-rotatablymounted thereon, the rod having a reduced portion permitting relativelyangular positioning of the socket and a bearing on the rod adjacent thereduced portion for entry into the socket and serving together with thenon-rotatably mounted portion of the rod to support said rod entirelyfrom the socket and, in alignm ment therewith.

8. In a device of the class described the combination of a socket memberadapted for removable rigid connection to a jack, and an actuating rodhaving a universal drive" connection with the socket and adapted to bemoved axially into the socket for support thereby in axial alignmentwith the socket.

9. In a device of the class described the combination of a socket memberadapted for removable rigid connection to a jack, and'an actuating rodhaving a universal drive connection with the socket and adapted to bemoved axially relative to the socket for support thereby in axialalignment with the socket.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto

